Skip to main content

What I’ve Been Reading This Week


Readers might recall that there had recently been renewed efforts in Hawaii to raise the state’s hourly minimum wage rate.  While several efforts in the past few years had fallen short, supporters of this year’s legislation have been hopeful that the Hawaii Legislature will finally approve the measure.  As the article below notes, those minimum wage advocates have a reason to be hopeful that this year is finally the year.

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


United Airlines To Allow Some Unvaccinated Workers Back

Last summer, United airlines indicated it would require all of its employees to get a coronavirus vaccine or risk termination.  While employees with a sincerely held religious or medical exemption could still retain their job if they did not get the vaccine, many of these employees were either put on unpaid leave or given the opportunity to apply for positions within the company that were not “public facing.”  However, as Alison Sider at The Wall Street Journal writes, United recently has taken steps to allow those employees that qualified for an exemption to come back to work.  Note, United has apparently not taken steps to bring back those employees (estimated to be about 200 or so workers) that refused to get the vaccine and were terminated without having requested an exemption.  As well, all newly hired employees are still required to be vaccinated.


Hawaii’s Minimum Wage House Bill HB 2510 Moves Forward

On Tuesday, by a vote of 43 - 8, the Hawaii House of Representatives approved HB 2510, the proposed minimum wage bill which would eventually raise hourly pay rates in the islands to $18/hour.  The legislation was met with spirited debate on both sides with advocates pushing for its passage to help workers deal with rising living costs while opponents pointed to the fact that many employers will be unable to deal with the surge in labor costs.  Of course the legislation still needs to clear the Hawaii Senate, which is no sure thing.  For the time being however, minimum wage advocates can notch Tuesday’s vote as a victory.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NLRB: Discussion Among Employees About Tip Pooling is Protected Concerted Activity

  This Advice Memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board’s Associate General Counsel, Jayme Sophir, addressed whether employees which discussed and complained about tip pooling at work constituted protected concerted activity. In relevant part, an employer in New York operated a chain of steakhouses.  While tip pooling was in place at these steakhouses, some of the employees objected to it on the grounds that it was not transparent and improperly divided tips among the workers.  Employees were told not to complain or talk to each other about the tip pool and were told that doing so would endanger their jobs.  Despite the employer later attempting to provide some clarity as to how the tips were being divided, rancor still existed among some employees.  At one point, the employees were told by a general manager that some employees that had been talking about the tip pool were “cleared out” and the employer would continue to do so. In the Advice Memorandum,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking: Labor Secretary Rumored to Be Leaving Administration

A few hours ago, word leaked out that Labor Secretary Marty Walsh (“Walsh”) is in the midst of negotiations to head up the NHL Players Union and leave his position at the Labor Department. Walsh, who has served as the sole Labor Secretary under President Biden, has taken part in a labor renaissance of sorts as support for organized labor has increased during his term as Labor Secretary (although the number of workers that have joined a union over the past two years has not grown as mush as some expected.)  He has also overseen the ongoing negotiations with rail workers over a new contract, although that matter is still on shaky ground and playing out as we speak. As for who might step into the vacant Labor Secretary role, there are already rumblings that President Biden should nominate Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su (a strong labor advocate) or even a progressive like Senator Bernie Sanders.  Until Walsh officially gives his notice, however, I would expect some/many potential...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Vetoes Minimum Wage Hike

A few months ago, readers might remember that I pointed out that the New Jersey Legislature had voted to approve a minimum wage hike in the state .  Under the approved legislation, the minimum wage rate would rise to $10.10/hour in the next year and at least $15/hour over the next five.  (The current minimum wage rate in the state is $8.38/hour).  In that article, I had noted that the bill was then going to go before Governor Chris Christie for his approval or veto. As I had suggested previously, I thought that the Governor would likely veto the bill based upon his prior actions and comments on similar legislation.  Well, a few days ago, Governor Christie did just that and vetoed the bill on the grounds that it "would trigger an escalation of wages that will make doing business in New Jersey unfathomable."  Pointing to the increase in hourly minimum wage rates, the Governor referred to the bill as a "really radical increase."  (It is interesting to c...
Post a Comment
Read more